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Monthly Archives: January 2017

Coach John Wooden epitomizes what a coach should be. Earlier this year, he passed away at the age of 99. Back in the 60’s and 70’s, his UCLA team dominated the college basketball scene. The book,”They Call Me Coach”, is his autobiography.

Coach John Wooden was a rather soft-spoken. He was precise on his practice and games. Prior to becoming a coach, he was a great point guard at Purdue University. He became a Hall of Fame inductee both as a college basketball player and coach. When he speaks, he sounds like a poet or English teacher because he uses poems and quotes to make a point.

The book vividly illustrates how Coach Wooden had solid principles that he lived by. The two key source of his life and coaching philosophies comes from a Seven Point Creed from his father and his Pyramid of Success.

The Seven Point Creed states:

* Be true to yourself.

* Make each day your masterpiece.

* Help others.

* Drink deeply from good books, especially the Bible.

* Make friendship a fine art.

* Build a shelter against a rainy day.

* Pray for guidance and give thanks for your blessings every day.

The Pyramid of Success is a list of foundational principles that are layered by:

* Competitive Greatness

* Poise

* Confidence

* Condition

* Skill

* Team Spirit

* Self-Control

* Alertness

* Initiative

* Intentness

* Industriousness

* Friendship

* Loyalty

* Cooperation

* Enthusiasm

His story can help anyone in any field to become better and ultimately achieve their best. Coach Wooden’s story is success through solid core principles. He was a master of the details. In the book, there is a story on how important it was to put your socks on correctly. He even taught his players how to do that. Another key aspect of Coach Wooden is that he does not directly talk about winning. Instead, he teaches his players to do their best. If they do their best, then the result does not matter as much.

Coach Wooden coached a variety of great players including Lew Alcindor (aka Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), Bill Walton, Gail Goodrich, and many others. He treated each player fairly. Fairly is not the same as equally. He had to spend a bit more time with the star players, but he recognize and acknowledge the importance of every single player. Many of his former players succeeded in basketball at the professional level- but most of them succeeded in other areas including business, medicine, teaching, ministry, etc.

This book is a must-read for anyone who coaches which includes athletic coaches, parents, business leaders, supervisors, etc.

I am sure most of us are gaming freaks and there can be nothing more interesting as this. People love to play computer games and as such you require a mouse. So we will be casting a look over the gaming mouse and as to what makes them special. These have certain features which are different from those of the ordinary mouse.

One of the features of a good gaming mouse is that it must have high sensitivity. It should have a higher DPI or CPI value. Higher sensitivity is required since this indicates less physical movement in order to move the cursor a particular distance on the screen.

Apart from this, you can also set the sensitivity very conveniently. Some of the mice also have buttons or keyboard shortcuts so that you can swap between different levels. You can also get full sensitivity while playing the game or also decrease the level for desktop apps.

Programmable buttons add to the appeal of such mice. These may perform certain actions or a particular set of actions. So choose the mouse that has proper programmable buttons. In fact you would also love the lighting effects which these mice have. They can be glowing or pulsing, red, green or blue.

There are different types of weights available as well. Thus the weight is quite adjustable. You can either for a claw grip or palm grip mouse. In case you hold the mouse with finger tips then you refer to it as claw grip whereas if you rest at the top of it is referred to as palm grip.

Depending upon your requirements a number of mice are available. Logitech G500 is one of the famous gaming mice. You can have a proper grip over the mouse and enjoy gaming. In fact it has ten programmable buttons which adds to its feature. Razor Imperator is the other mouse that can add up to your collection. It has around 5,700dpi sensor and it is especially for the right-handed gamers has a design which is quite similar to that of Deathadder mouse. Another is Logitech G9x which has two swappable shells in order to alter the shape of your mouse making it either fingertip grip or resting the palm on the mouse. Microsoft Sidewinder has a number of beautiful features including 5 programmable buttons, on-the-fly DPI adjustment, and an LCD display which shows DPI as well as icons for micro recording.

Thus depending upon the sensitivity, programmable buttons, weight, style and feel you have a number of options available for you. The best way to choose the most apt mouse is by trying them out. You yourself would know what actually wish to go for. So hurry and go to a store next to you and pick the best piece for you. This would be a minor investment that you can make and get home the best gaming mouse. This would let you enjoy and have a lasting experience while gaming.

Sex games for couples who have been together for months, years, and decades, can become the downfall of strong relationships, once the people involved run out of ideas, and don’t know how to reignite the passion in their lives. Other relationships repeat the same lovemaking experience over and over again, while searching for an answer that is not discovered. Both situations have caused several relationships to fade away, and have ruined friendships that should have lasted a lifetime.

Enthusiasm tends to disappear after the “been there, done that” emotions start to kick in, followed by moments of restlessness, boredom, and feeling unsatisfied! A lasting connection depends upon several strong components. How couples relate to each other as friends, not lovers, plays a very important part in how their relationship will carry into the future. However, negative sexual tension due to repetition, has prevented many from having a future.

“101 Sex Games For Couples”, created by Michael Webb, provides the solution for lovers who are stuck in these circumstances, or just want to add some excitement and adventure into their lovemaking. This reliable, instantly downloadable e-book consists of many games that are new, easy to prepare and perform, and are not degrading to a relationship. Some of them are as follows:

– a new way to play with a deck of cards that will lead to amazing climaxes.

– an exciting game that leads to lovemaking in new places around the home.

– a guessing game that leads to burning desire in ten minutes.

– a game that turns an every day experience into 30 minutes of pulsating foreplay.

– a game that stimulates bodies in new and exciting ways, while keeping partners begging for more.

– a game that utilizes blindfolds and food.

– 4 bonuses and many more games that will lead couples to more meaningful, confident, satisfied, secure, and orgasmic relationships.

Sex games for couples who want to move their relationships forward, have finally arrived and will allow their lives to blossom together, far into the future!

The Nintendo 3DS is without a doubt a revolutionary machine that will change the way games should be played. While many other companies do their best to be innovative and cutting edge by making 3D games that require glasses, Nintendo takes this technology further and by creating a system that does not require 3D glasses. Once again, the company is ahead of the curve.

As you might guess, playing games in 3D for a significant amount of time may cause the eyes to strain, but this is just a guess so it may or may not be true. Well, not every eyeball is the same so some people might have problems with the effect during prolonged playing while others may not. Nintendo already anticipated this and provided a switch to turn off the effects so you can play in traditional 2D.

One very cool feature that was included in the Nintendo 3DS is backwards compatibility. You will be able to play your last generation DS games so there’s no need to throw them away. If you have DS games, you’ll be able to enjoy this awesome console the moment you take it out of the box.

You should be able to have tons of fun with the Nintendo 3DS. The effects are going to be awesome and won’t get old for a while. I believe each game is going to look totally unique and amazing. The 3D feature will be a huge selling point for the console and once again, Nintendo will dominate handheld gaming sales.

It’s a fact that kids love computer games. Not only kids, but even youngsters and elders love playing them; there are different games for every age group. It is very easy to find any kind of game you need because there are millions available to choose from. Action, adventure, puzzle, magic, sports, science, thrill, horror, and vampires are a few game categories that are available. Teenagers love playing computer games, and this is the reason that more than fifty percent of games are developed specifically for teenagers.

Some of the most liked game categories are: action, adventure, thrill, puzzle, suspense, sports, fighting, racing, shooting, and simulation.

So there are lots of different options available for kids and teenagers when it comes to computer games. Similarly, there are different categories for each age group, and importantly, each age group has a different set of games than others.

Girls usually like playing games that are simple, fun, and are somehow related to them. For instance, they play dress-up, cooking, makeup, and the like.

In a dress up game, kids need to change the outfit of different characters (like Barbie, fairies, cartoons and others). Developers and programmers use different characters in these games; for instance, Barbie dolls, celebrities, fairies, vampires, monsters, dolls, and many others. It is a simple and very entertaining category.

In a Monster High dress up game, players have to change the clothes, makeup, hair style, lips, jewelry, shoes, and purse of a monster. In each stage, they try to make it look different and unique . It is a very unique category where developers have tried an altogether different character (a monster) instead of common characters (like Barbie, fairies, princesses, and others).

A Barbie dress up game is best for small girls under nine or even those who are older. In this category, the player is required to revamp the Barbie doll. According to research, most girls below nine love Barbie dolls, and this is the reason that it is one of the most famous categories among girls.

Besides Barbie dolls, there are many other famous characters that are usually used in these games. Winx Club characters are pretty popular. Various celebrities and dolls are also used extensively. In fact, there are many different options available for your girl within the dress up games to choose from, so let your girl explore a new world of games. Internet has lots of free games for you; in fact, internet is the biggest source of entertainment for people of all ages.

Simulation games have actually been around for quite some time, you may be familiar with console games such as the Sims. Sims started off really popular, the ideas was that you role play as people, find jobs, learn new skills, meet people and try to live life. Something big just hit the online game industry and that is Corporation Inc. Corporation Incorporated is an all new online game from John, a very well made game I might add, it has quickly jumped up to the best game of 2010, following that would be Warlords 2: Rise of Demons.

In this online RPG game you simply run your own push button factory, the goal is to run a successful business that earns a steady income, you’ll have to hire and fire workers depending on their happiness level, and whether or not they slack off or do their job(s). There have been a few minor bugs with the game but overall they have been fixed or are still in the process of being fixed, the game itself is very unique, something much different from the usual online games I play.

The game starts out with 3 modes, easy, medium and hard. Each mode has a different amount of starting cash, I have managed to play it both on medium and hard, if you do choose the hard option you cash will probably cut pretty close to low earnings, just make sure you don’t purchase to many offices or decor.I have read a few great Corporation Inc Walkthroughs here and there explaining useful gameplay hints on how to complete each objective. The game has 32 objectives, some of them are rather time consuming, so make sure you just keep earning a fair amount of money before you attempt to make any serious purchases.

Analysis: Overall this game is by far the best online game I have played to date, without a doubt. If you are into casual games or in this case simulation games, you should definitely add this game to your playlist. If you run into any bugs just let John know, he is constantly doing his best to improve and make the gameplay better for everyone out there in the online gaming community. Good luck, and as always have fun!

Ergonomic keyboards are specially designed computer keyboards with an aim to reduce stress on your wrists and forearms while typing. They have been around for quite some time now, and its been proven that the special contour designs of these keyboards are definitely worth the trouble.

A common ergonomic keyboard design is one where the keyboards seems to be split in half, and each half is positioned on an angle to match the shape of your wrists when typing.

If you use a computer frequently, and especially if you do a lot of typing, you’ll want to make sure you are comfortable with your keyboard. And so, buying an ergonomic computer keyboard would be a great investment for you. You’ll save your hands, forearms and wrists from discomfort, making you more productive and allowing you to work for longer periods of time.

Also, if you’ve ever experienced pain in your hands, wrists or forearms associated with using your keyboard in the past, you will want to consider dumping your old keyboard and buying an ergonomic one to save you from the pain.

If your use of the computer doesn’t include extensive keyboard work, you might not see the full benefits from an ergonomic keyboard. Although, I would still recommend an ergonomic keyboard for all computer users, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Buying an ergonomic keyboard is a great investment that will save you in the long run.

If you enjoy a beautiful Thanksgiving table, look forward to a white wedding, baptismal, or simply appreciate the beauty of lace curtains and linens, you might owe more than you think to the Quaker Lace Company.

The Quaker Lace Company of Philadelphia was founded in 1889 and started out as the Bromley Manufacturing Company, founded by the three sons of John Bromley. Mr. Bromley was an English carpet weaver who immigrated to Philadelphia in the 1840s and later became the patriarch of one of the city’s largest textile enterprises. To large-produce lace for America, the Bromleys dipped into the profits they had made on their carpet business in England. This allowed them import not only expensive lace looms, but also the skilled weavers to produce them from Nottingham, England. In 1894, they renamed the business The Lehigh Manufacturing Company, and moved into an impressive manufacturing complex at the corner of 4th Street and Lehigh Avenue in Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood. Later on, they opened another factory at 22nd and Lehigh, said to be the largest in the world.

Finally incorporated as the Quaker Lace Company in 1911, the firm quickly gained national attention as the nation’s lace industry leader. Q L’s ability to successfully market machine-made lace as a stylish lifestyle for middle-class homes and women’s fashions, made it a household name. By the early 1900’s, Quaker Lace came close to surpassing the regal place of Nottingham, the place from which they obtained their looms, weavers, and designers. One of their more popular brochures proclaimed: “America has taste and individuality that should find expression in an American lace industry. Why not try to develop here a more perfect lace than that produced in Nottingham and Calais, the lace markets of the world?”

The success of Q L was due in large to their ability to adopt to meet their middle-class customers’ desires for lace that was both luxurious and durable. Q L was a success, as the mechanization of lace-making offered average Americans the unique opportunity to wear and decorate their homes with what was previously a luxury item. Another very successful brochure invited the used of lace in fashion, “…no part of a woman’s wardrobe which may not be beautified by the use of Quaker Laces,” citing the “originality, authoritativeness and timeliness” of their designs.

One of their most admired designers lured away from the English and European industries, was designer Frederick Vessey. Recognizing the public’s desire for beauty and durability, the company released one of their most successful brochures yet, one that emphasized the technical features of Quaker Lace nets that allowed their curtains to resist pulls, stretching, and distortion after washing without losing that essential quality of transparency.

During the second world war, the public’s purchasing power and interest diminished. This was one of many swings in the textile industry. As the market for lace curtains continued to decline, the firm turned to producing practical goods like mosquito or camouflage netting for the military. In 1932, it began its first production of lace tablecloths, a favorite post-war item that would forever be associated with Quaker Lace.

Quaker Lace was not protected from the shifts in the textile industry, and in the late 1980s the Nottingham looms at the 4th and Lehigh factory became silent, as the manufacturing moved to plants in Lionville, Pa (Chester County), and Winthrop, Maine.

The Philadelphia Mill continued to operate by bleaching, dying, cutting, and packaging the famous Quaker Lace tablecloths and curtains. The Mill remained open largely due to their innovative chemical process that allowed their tablecloths and curtains to withstand dozens of launderings without losing their shape.

It was the closure of a substantial amount of the department stores that retailed the Quaker Lace products that finally pushed the company into bankruptcy in 1992.

The Quaker Lace rights, name and patterns were purchased by Lorraine Linens, which marketed their unique tablecloths and curtains until its own bankruptcy in 2007. The original manufacturing plant of Lehigh Avenue in Philadelphia, was abandoned after the bankruptcy and eventually was destroyed by a devastating fire on September 19, 1994.

I believe that creativity is an attribute that many leaders desire, fewer leaders believe they have, and in reality, even fewer leaders exercise in practice. Creativity, as an intentional process that can lead to doing or producing new things and current things differently in the future, is a key ingredient to success. Moreover, I believe that each of us has an outlet for creativity to come to life, kindle, and burn.

The brilliance in the documented history of society’s geniuses is found at the crossroads of the art and science of the phenomenon in which they are studying. The fact that the boundary pushers and creative destroyers of our past and present have been equally concerned with the art and science of the problem they are addressing demonstrates their seemingly innate appreciation and comfort with the unknown.

For example, on their pursuit of man-powered flight, the Wright brothers spent as much time studying books on ornithology (the scientific and empirical study of birds) and observing soaring birds as they did studying texts on aviation, mechanical engineering, and man-powered flight. Moreover, it was their obsession with and courage to invest their time observing soaring birds in flight that inspired them to develop the core element associated with their 1903 flier’s success – the patented hip cradle system. Simply stated, the hip cradle system provided the opportunity for the pilot to literally roll left and right and by doing so flexing the tips of the left and right (top and bottom) wings of the flier in order to respond to the ever-changing winds and unpredictable drafts (McCullough, 2015).

This changed the game of man-powered flight and was directly inspired by their observation of soaring birds (e.g., eagles, buzzards, falcons, sea gulls, etc.). In turn, this informed the way they designed their flier and reframed their appreciation for flexibility in their approach and in their actual design (McCullough, 2015). Finally, it was their commitment to respecting and taking pause at the crossroads between the art and science of their field that led to their world changing ideas. To think that the key to understanding a fundamental aspect of man-powered flight had always been there for all aviators and innovators to observe and re-engineer is both confounding and inspiring.

As we begin to think practically about what this means to us as creators, innovators, and ideators it is important to consider where we might start. For me, the creative process follows these five practical, applicable, and transferable steps:

1. Stop and observe the world within your immediate surroundings around you with a heightened sense of awareness. This can include asking questions, making observations, and reviewing artifacts in order to inform, complement, or contrast with what you think about the world. Lead with the question: what do I care enough about to do something about in this world?

2. Intentionally decide to find comfort in and understand the borders and ambiguity of a blank canvas. Lead with the question: how have my observations shaped or framed the way I view this particular challenge or topic?

3. Adopting and applying divergent thought practices to generate ideas by exploring various explanations and opportunities in a free-flowing, deviating manner (e.g., list concepts, ideas, and responses). Lead with the question: in what theoretical ways can we address this topic?

4. Adopting and applying convergent thought practices to refine ideas from a free-flowing divergent exploratory process into the criteria-driven narrowing and joining of ideas to address a challenge or topic. Lead with the question: of the ideas or responses generated, which seem to fit and directly support the challenge or topic being addressed?

5. Post-convergence, develop a plan that includes a simple project statement, which includes scope, schedule, and resources needed. Lead with the question: now that I have an idea how will I pursue and achieve it?

Perhaps most important is that each of us, as leaders – not as human beings – realize that we have access to reservoirs of creativity and innovation. It is up to us to find ways to tap into that creativity and convert it into transformational initiatives. Go for it, find yourself, tap into your creativity, and transform the world you live in for the better!